With candy canes’ festive red and white stripes and hook shape, it’s become a Christmas tradition to hang them as ornaments on trees. They look cute and you can eat them: The perfect duo, right?

Wrong.

Trying to cram a candy cane into my mouth is one of my top 10 most frustrating experiences. Starting from the straight end makes eating the curve nearly impossible, while eating the curved end first stabs your inside cheek. There’s only one way to turn this into a viable food product: Break it in two pieces at the top of the curve and eat the two parts separately. 

Candy cane makers: Please abandon this tradition and discard the hook. 

Candy sticks work far better.